Scott Joplin

Born

1867 or 1868, TexasThe exact date is unknown; census records point to between June 1867 and January 1868

Died

1 April 1917, New York City

Life

Joplin was born in Texas in 1867 or 1868; his exact birth date is unknown. He became known as the King of Ragtime. In August 1899 he signed a contract with John Stark, a music store owner and publisher in Sedalia, Missouri, to publish the Maple Leaf Rag. It sold only about 400 copies in its first year, but about half a million by 1909.

After moving to St. Louis he published Peacherine Rag and The Easy Winners in 1901, and The Entertainer, The Strenuous Life and Elite Syncopations in 1902. He published his opera Treemonisha himself in 1911, but never saw it fully staged. He died in New York City on 1 April 1917.

Why play Joplin

Joplin's music came roaring back in the 1970s, helped by its use in the Academy Award-winning score of the film The Sting, and in 1976 the Pulitzer Prize board gave him a special award for his contribution to American music.

Ragtime is a brilliant teacher: a steady left hand jumping between bass notes and chords, and a syncopated right hand dancing against it. Start with the easy Entertainer, then try the gentle Solace (1909) or the ragtime waltz Bethena (1905).

When Joplin lived